Device for sectionally viewing maps, plans or the like



April 8, 1958' J..HUTTERER 2,829,456

' DEVICE FOR SECTIONALLY VIEWING MAPS, PLANS OR THE LIKE Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR April 8, 1958 I J. HUTTERER 2,329,456

DEVICE FOR SECTIONALLY VIEWING MAPS, PLANS OR THE LIKE E Filed March 28, 1955 Y 2 SheetsSheet 2 1N VIEN TOR (hum/19 417 727? Hmmd t ent DEVICE FORSECTIONALLY VIEWING MAPS,

' PLANS OR THE LIKE Johann Hutterer, Vienna, Austria Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,312 Claims priority, application Austria April 5, 1954 1 Claim. CI. 40-65) This invention'relates to a device for sectionally viewing maps, plans, and the like, in which such maps, plans or the like are divided into sections, the latter subdivided into strips and the strips assembled in packs within a casing, each strip being attached to slidable cleats, which are interconnected by means of a cross band, and each group of corresponding strips combined ina section being provided with draw means. The strips forming one section can be viewed as a complete or whole picture in the viewing Window of a casing enclosing the device.

lnexisting devices of this nature the cross bands 'coning cleats guide each other.

ice

equal numbers of strips 2, there being nine in the present instance. These strips are combined to form packs (Fig. 7) in such a manner that each pack contains one stripof each section. For instance, the strips 2a (Fig. 7) forming the first section 1 of the map may be'the lowest strips in each pack and the strips forming the next following section may lie in the second position 2b, counted from below, in all packs and so on. The sequence of the strips in the successive packs is such as the six sections of the map have been layed one upon another and then cut into strips 2. All strips 2 of a section,qthat is, all strips having the same position in the packs 40, such asthe strips 2a, are affixed to two sliding cleats 4. Each strip 2 has at its lower edge two tabs 3, which may consist of strips fixed, e. g., by pasting, to the rear of the map strips 2. The frame 6tcomprises two bars 7. connected close to their ends by cross bars 8. If desired, a central bar 9 may be provided to increase the rigidity of the frame. The sliding cleats 4 are connected in pairs with common cross cleats 5 for joint movement. These cross cleats are guided in slots of bars 7 and in the bar 9 formed with a continuous slot. Further the slid- The cross bars 8 serve, to limit the. movement of the cleats 5 andwith it the displacement 'of the map sections. The connection of the sliding cleats 4 to the cross cleats 5 may be eiiected by nailing (as shown) or by other means. As isflapparent from Fig. 2, e. g., the extreme left sliding cleat, i. e. the

sliding cleat disposed at the extreme leftin the left-hand I part of the .rriapsectioh, is connected to the same cross '7 bar-"5 asthe sliding cleat next to the :right-hand-side of To avoid 'such disadyantages it issuggestedltio -provide a" device of the kind mentioned hereinbef ore,- -in which according to the invention the draw means comprise a pulling cable connected to thesliding cleats carrying the strips of a section and actuating the strips when operated, the pulling cable being provided with actuating means projecting outwardly of the casing.

Preferably the drawstrings are attached to the cross cleats connecting the sliding cleats and are provided with actuating knobs, levers or the like projecting through slots at the front and/ or the rear of the casing.

Additional features of the invention will be explained with reference to three illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view in perspective showing the connection of the strips of a single map section to the sliding cleats which hold them;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the internal mechanism of the device;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the complete device with a map section divided into strips visible in the viewing aperture;

Fig. 4is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of a detail of a modified form of the device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of a special form of the sliding cleats;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view through. a series of the map strips fixed in the cleats shown in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the device taken along line VIlVII of-Fig. 2.

In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 7, the map to be used is divided into six sections 1 (Fig. 3) each corresponding in size to the full viewing area of the casing 16 accommodating the device. The

viewing area is determined by the windows 20 provided in the front face and preferably also in the rear face of the casing 16. All sections 1 of the map are cut into the centralbar, i. e. the sliding cleat disposed at IhflfiX', trerne left intthe =right ha'nd part of the section. Thus the two sliding cleats of all pairs vare evenly spaced. The fixation of the several strips of the strip packs to the 'slidin'gf-cle ats is effected :as previously indicated by connecting 'the' strips having equal :positions ,intheir packs; e. g all'third strips .(cfouritedlfrom below) :of the pack-s, to the twoislidingxdleats:4! so'thatgthey canvform a coherent rnap section 1. The next following strips of the packs are connected to the sliding cleats designated 4" and so forth. As is apparent from the arrangement described hereinbefore, the number of pairs of sliding cleats corresponds to the number of strips in each strip pack and consequently to the number of map sections.

As has been described, the casing 16 is preferably provided with windows 20-on both sides so that both sides of the casing can be used for showing map sections or the like, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In accordance therewith, sliding cleats which carry strip sections in the manner described hereinbefore are connected to the front and rear sides of the cross cleats. In this case it is obvious that when a certain section is shown in the front window of the casing a certain other section will be visible in the rear window of the casing. At both ends of the frame 6 the shafts It), 11 are provided, each of which carries freely rotatable rope pulleys 12, 13 in a number coresponding to the number of cross members 5. A plurality of cords, strings or the like are provided, each of which is laid around two associated pulleys 12 and 13 and connected at its ends to an associated cross member 5. The draw cords are operated by knobs 14, which project outwardly through slots 15 of the casing 16 and each of which is affixed to one cord at one strand thereof. In another embodiment the knobs 14 may be replaced by pulleys 17 (Fig. 4), each of which is associated with one draw cord and has a separate groove 18 for each strand of the cord, or two grooves altogether. The pulleys 17 are formed with a knurled or milled rim 19, which projects outwardly through slots formed in the casing.

As has been mentioned, the sliding cleats are lowered to be in their neutral position, and if all sliding cleats 5 i are in a position nearest the lower rim of the window in the casing 16, the section composed of the uppermost strips in the packs is presented to view.

If another map section is to be moved into the window of the casing, the knob 14 associated with the. desired section is displaced to move the draw cord associated with that knob, whereby the sliding cleat 6 with the two. cleats 4 aflixed thereto is carried along toward the top edge of the'window in the casing 16; Thus, those map strips of each pack which are afiixed to the respective cleats 4 and which form together the desired mapsection are moved to the top and sliding over the map strips previously visible in the window. In this way, the desired map section is moved into the window of the casing 16. Referring to.

Figs. 2 and 3, when the third knob from the right, which is associated with the uppermost sliding cleat 5 is displaced towards the top, only the uppermost sliding cleat 5 and the map strips associated therewith will be moved. If another knob 14 is moved, those sliding cleats which are disposed above the sliding cleat associated with this knob and the map ,strips associated withsaid sliding cleats will be moved also but only the desired map section will become visiblewhereas the underlying map sections which have also been moved remain covered by the map strips of the desiredsection.

To return the device to its initial position, it is suiticient to move the displaced knob or knobs back to the lower position. The sliding cleat associated with the particular knob will then move all other sliding cleats towards the bottom.

In another illustrative embodiment, which will be explained more fully with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the sliding cleats 4 consist of metal strips 31 which are afiixed to the cross members 5 and operated by means of draw strings, draw cords, or the like, similar to'the constructions described hereinbefore. The metal strips 31 are formed on one longitudinal side with regularly spaced cuts and corresponding tongues 32. These tongues are slitted at their'free ends parallel to their length, preferably at the center. To afiix the several map strips in the slitted tongues 32 the latter are slightly bent out of the plane of the strips 31. After the end lugs 34, 35 of I between the end lugs.

the tongues 32 have been slightly spread apart the corresponding map strip is inserted into the slit 33 thus formed, to be held by the resiliency of the parts. The end lugs 34, 35 may be formed with projecting center marks to improve the grip on the strips.

In this embodiment it is desirable to enlarge the several map strips on that side where they are inserted between the end lugs of the strips 31,'in order to prevent the end lugs from showing between the adjacent map strips. This requirement can be considered during the manufacture, e. g. the printing of the strips, or the strips may subsequently be provided,'e. g. by pasting, with corresponding unprinted laps on that side where they are to be inserted As a result the end lugs of strips 31 will not disturb the map picture. It is obvious that the sliding cleats maybe made from any other resilient material, such as plastics.

I claim: L

In a device for sectionally viewing maps, plans or. the like ofthe type in which "each of said maps, plans or the like is divided intosections and the individual sections are divided into strips and which are assembled in packs within a casing, each strip being attached to slidable cleats which are interconnected by means of a crossband, and each group of corresponding strips combined in a section being provided with draw means, said draw means comprising a pulling cable connected to the sliding cleats carrying the strips of a section and actuating the strips when operated, the pulling cable being provided with actuating means projecting outwardly of the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pullen July .11, 

